Who will it be?
Obama, McCain race to November 4
The Guardian-Journal
The
long-awaited presidential election is almost here.
On
Tuesday, November 4, all voters will vote statewide for president, U.S. Senate
and constitutional amendments. On December 6, voters will vote for
Congressional Districts 2 and 4. The registration deadline for that election is
Wednesday, November 5. The week of November 18-25 will be early voting, except
for Sunday, November 23. Hours of early voting are 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.
On
election day, the hours of voting will be from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. is given the opportunity to vote. All voters must produce photo
identification or sign an identification affidavit before voting. The types of
photo ID that can be used by the voter include drivers license, special
Louisiana ID card or other form of photo ID containing the name, address and
signature of the voter.
Voters
may request an application to vote absentee if they meet any of the following
criteria:
- Absent from state/parish during
early voting period and on Election Day
- Military personnel and their
dependants
- Institution outside registration
parish, not interdicted nor judicially declared incompetent
- Expect hospitalization on Election
Day or during early voting
- Religious clergy/leader
- Overseas citizens
- Incarcerated but not under an order
of imprisonment for conviction of a felony
- Students, instructors, professors
- Offshore employment
- Moved to another parish (more than
100 miles away) after registration closed
- Confined involuntarily to mental
institution
The
deadline for mail-in ballots is Friday, October 31. For military and overseas
ballots, the deadline is Monday, November 3.
- The following reasons allow you to request
an absentee ballot to be mailed for all elections indefinitely or until a
ballot is returned to the registrar from the U.S. Postal Service as
undeliverable:
- 65 years of age or older
- Mobility impaired cardholder issued
by OMV (include a copy with application), letter of disability eligibility
from the Social Security Administration, Veterans, paratransit services,
benefits from office of citizens with developmental disabilities or
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, or letter from a physician.
On the
ballot for the November 4 election is as follows:
U.S.
President: Barack Obama, Joe Biden,
Democrat, #600; Cynthia McKinney, Rosa Clemente, Green Party, #601; John
McCain, Sarah Palin, Republican Party, #602; Chuck Baldwin, Darrell Castle,
Constitution Party, #603; Ralph Nader, Matt Gonzales, Independent, #604; “Ron”
Paul, Barry Goldwater Jr., Louisiana Taxpayers Party, #605; Gene Amondson,
Leroy Pletten, Prohibition, #606; Gloria La Riva, Eugene Puryear, Socialism and
Libertarian, #607; James Harris, Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers Party, #608.
U.S.
Senator: Mary Landrieu, Democrat, #1;
Richard Fontanesi, Libertarian, #2; John Kennedy, Republican, #4; “Jay” Patel,
No Party, #5; Robert Stewart, Other, #6
U.S. Representative, 4th
Congressional District, Democrat: Willie Banks, #22; Paul J. Carmouche, #23
U.S.
Representative, 4th Congressional District, Republican: John Fleming, #26; “Chris” Gorman, #27.
District
Attorney, 2nd Judicial District: Darrell
R. Avery, #68; Jonathan M. Stewart, #71.
Following
is a list of the seven proposed constitutional amendments.
For
more information, voters may contact the Secretary of State at 1-800-883-2805
or go to www.GeauxVote.com. To report election fraud or suspected
electioneering to the Elections Compliance Unit at 1-800-722-5305.
Proposed Constitutional Amendments
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 1
ACT NO.
935 – Senate Bill No. 232, Regular Session, 2008
To
provide for term limits for members of the Public Service Commission, the State
Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Board of Regents, the Board of
Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, the Board of Supervisors of
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board
of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College,
the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges, the Louisiana
Forestry Commission, the State Civil Service Commission, and the State Police
Commission; to provide that a person who has served for more than two and
one-half terms in three consecutive terms shall not be appointed or elected to
the succeeding term; and to provide for a limit on service on more than one
such board or commission. (Amends Article IV, Section 21(A), Article VIII,
Sections 3(B), 5(B), 6(B), 7(B), and 7.1(B), Article IX, Section 8(B), and
Article X, Sections 3(B) and 43(B); Adds Article IV, Section 22)
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 2
ACT NO.
937 – Senate Bill No. 296, Regular Session, 2008
To
require a proclamation which calls the legislature into extraordinary session
to be issued at least seven calendar days prior to the convening of the
legislature in extraordinary session. (Amends Article III, Section 2(B))
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3
ACT NO.
931 – House Bill No. 183, Regular Session, 2008
To
require the legislature to provide by law for the prompt and temporary
succession to the powers and duties of a legislator if the legislator is
unavailable to perform his functions or duties due to being ordered to active
duty in the armed services of the United States. (Adds Article III, Section
4(F))
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 4
ACT NO.
932 – House Bill 420, Regular Session, 2008
To
increase the maximum amount of the severance tax imposed and collected by the
state on natural resources, other than sulphur, lignite, and timber, which is
remitted to the parish governing authority where the severance occurs from
eight hundred fifty thousand dollars to one million eight hundred fifty
thousand dollars, for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 and to two million eight hundred
fifty thousand dollars for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 and thereafter; to require at
least fifty percent of the excess severance tax remitted to a parish because of
this constitutional amendment to be used within the parish only in the same
manner and for the same purposes as money received by the parish from the
Parish Transportation Fund; to increase the amount of such severance taxes
collected by the state, not to exceed ten million dollars each fiscal year,
which is to be deposited to a special fund created in the state treasury to be
known as the Atchafalaya Basin Conservation Fund, in order to fund projects
contained in the state or federal Basin master plans or an annual Basin plan
developed by an Atchafalaya Basin Research and Promotion Board and other such
advisory or approval boards, all of which the legislature must create and
provide for by law within the Atchafalaya Basin Program, or to provide match
for the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System, Louisiana Project, all as the
secretary of the Department of Natural Resources shall direct, provided that
eight-five percent must be used for water management, water quality, or access
projects, and the remaining fifteen percent may be used to complete ongoing
projects and for projects that are in accordance with the mission statement of
the state master plan, further provided, however, that up to five percent of
the money allocated in any one fiscal year may be used for the operational
costs of the program or the department; all to become effective July 1, 2009.
(Amends Article VII, Section 4(D)(3); Adds Article VII, Section 4(D)(4) and
(5))
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 5
ACT NO.
933 – House Bill No. 461, Regular Session, 2008
To
authorize the transfer of the special assessment level on property when the
property for which the special assessment level applies has been sold to or
expropriated by the federal government, state government, or a local governing
authority or political subdivision. (Adds Article VII, Section 18(G)(6))
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 6
ACT NO.
936 – Senate Bill No. 295, Regular Session, 2008
To
provide an exception to requirements of first refusal by the owner prior to
sale and certain procedures for declaration of property as surplus property,
when property is taken for the public purpose of removal of a threat to public
health or safety caused by the existing use or disuse of the property. (Adds
Article I, Section 4 (H)(5))
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 7
ACT NO.
934 – House Bill No. 584, Regular Session, 2008
To
authorize the investment in equities of monies of the state and a political
subdivision which may have been reserved to provide for post-employment
benefits other than pensions. (Amends Article VII, Section 14(B))
Proposed Constitutional Amendments 6 and
7
The Guardian-Journal
In last
week’s issue, proposed constitutional amendments 3 and 5 were discussed.
In
amendment 3, if passed, this would allow a legislator called to active military
duty to appoint a temporary successor to carry out duties in the legislator’s
absence. In amendment 5, if passed, homeowners would be able to transfer any
special property tax assessment level to a new home if their property is sold
to or expropriated by the state, federal or local government.
This
week, the last two proposed amendments, 6 and 7, will be discussed.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment #6
“ACT
936 – Senate Bill No. 295, Regular Session, 2008
To
provide an exception to requirements of first refusal by the owner prior to sale
and certain procedures for declaration of property as surplus property, when
property is taken for the public purpose of removal of a threat to public
health or safety caused by the existing use or disuse of the property. (Adds
Article I, Section 4(H)(5))”
According
to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana’s (PAR) guide to the
amendments, the current situation is this. The Louisiana Constitution and
statutory law allow for sale or expropriation of private property by state or
local governments without the consent of the owner.
A 2006
constitutional amendment placed restrictions on how expropriated property can
be transferred back to private interests when it was no longer needed for a
public purpose. “Supporters of the 2006 change argued that it was intended to
protect private property rights by preventing government from essentially
taking property from one citizen and selling it to another for economic
development purposes,” the guide states. “Other provisions of the 2006
constitutional change were designed to remedy surplus takings, which are
situations where more property is expropriated than is needed for a project.”
The
proposed change to go before voters next Tuesday would eliminate the right of
first refusal on property expropriated to remove a threat to public health or
safety.
“Property
expropriated for other purposes would remain subject to the
right-of-first-refusal requirement and still would have to be offered back to
the original owner, any heirs, or a successor-in-interest if no longer needed
for a public purpose,” the guide continued.
This
change would also eliminate the requirement that property taken for health and
safety reasons be sold by public bid and would eliminate the right of an
original owner, an heir or a successor-in-interest to re-purchase surplus
property.
Supporters
of the proposed amendment say it would fix some of the problems created in
2006. One of the problems, the guide says, is that the constitution is unclear
and has the unintended effect of hampering sale and redevelopment of blighted
property.
Remember,
this amendment would remove the right of first refusal for properties
expropriated for health and safety reasons only. Proponents argue that the
change is necessary for recovery in storm-affected areas of Louisiana.
Opponents
say that property rights are fundamental and should continue to require the
government to give the original owner and others an opportunity to repurchase
their land – no matter why the property originally was taken. It would unfairly
impact lower-income property owners, they say. Opponents also say that if
surplus property is taken, the excess should be returned to its original owner.
They also say that the proposed change would encourage the state or its
political subdivisions to expropriate more property than is needed for their
projects.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 7
“ACT
NO. 934 – House Bill No. 584, Regular Session, 2008
To
authorize the investment in equities of monies of the state and a political
subdivision which have been reserved to provide for post-employment benefits
other than pensions. (Amends Article VII, Section 14(B))”
Authored
by Representative Hollis Downs, this proposed amendment would allow public
funds reserved for non-pension, post-employment benefits to be invested in
stocks. Currently, the constitution prohibits the investment of state funds in
equities, or stocks, with a few exceptions. Various state retirement systems,
which include both public funds and employee contributions, are also exempt
from the prohibition and can invest in stocks.
If this
proposed change is funded, the state-level trust would be invested by the
treasurer and the local trusts would be invested by local authorities according
to state law. In 2004, a new accounting standard was passed which addresses how
state and local governments should account for and report their costs and
obligations related to post-employment health care and other non-pension
benefits.
According
to the guide, state and local governments across the nation are struggling to
comply without claiming huge unfunded liabilities on their balance sheets.
Normally, funding for these benefits comes through year-to-year budgets, which
treats these benefits as short-term liabilities for accounting purposes.
“The
constitutional prohibition against investing these funds in stocks was not
taken into account when the solution was enacted,” the guide states.
“Proponents of the change argue that to create a long-term asset, the trusts
must be established and invested in such a way that they would likely grow at a
fast pace. If the amendment fails, they argue, many parish governments may have
to choose to discontinue benefits rather than list unfunded liabilities.”
Generally,
opposition to investment of public funds in equities stems from an
unwillingness to take on additional risk. Active management of the investment
portfolio would be allowed. This is often touted as a safeguard against the
additional risk.
Dealer arrested at school
Search yields 117 pills
The Guardian-Journal
A
Bernice man has racked up several charges after attempting to distribute
narcotics on school grounds last week.
Pharell
B. Jackson, 18, was arrested and charged with possession of Schedule II CDS
Oxycontin with a bond of $5,000; possession with intent to distribute Schedule
III CDS Hydrocodone with a bond of $5,000; possession of Schedule IV CDS Xanax
with a bond of $5,000; and violation of controlled dangerous substances in a
drug-free zone, with a bond of $25,000.
On
Wednesday, October 22, Summerfield High School Principal D’Arcy Stevens called
the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office and requested a K-9 officer at the school
to search the parking lot. Deputy Paul Brazzel, assisted by his K-9, as well as
Haynesville Police Officer Aaron Christian, also assisted by his K-9, responded
to the call.
Upon
arrival, the two officers deployed their K-9s and one alerted on a vehicle
parked in the parking lot. After conducting a search of the vehicle, Brazzel
and Christian discovered a total of 117 pills in plastic bags in the vehicle.
One
plastic bag contained 86 green Hydrocodone pills and 14 blue Hydrocodone pills.
In another bag were seven white Xanax bars, along with one green Hydrocodone
pill. The last bag contained nine Oxycontin pills.
Jackson was read his rights in Miranda form and transported to
the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
Happy Halloween!
This house on North Main Street, across
from Homer High School, is ready for trick or treaters this Halloween. Decked
out in ghosts, goblins and cobwebs, kids are sure to get a thrill. Trick or
treating hours on the night of Halloween will be from 6 until 8 p.m.inside the
corporate limits of the Town of Homer. Don’t forget to stop by the Homer Police
Department and the sheriff’s office for some treats! For more information,
please call town hall at 927-3555.
In memory of those lost
Life-sized silhouettes on the Courthouse
lawn honor the memories of 22 women and four children who have died since 1997
as a result of domestic violence in North Louisiana. Mary Ellen Gamble, Rural
Advocate for DART (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team) in Claiborne Parish, notes
that October is Domestic Abuse Awareness Month and reminds everyone that
Sunday, October 26, is Domestic Abuse Awareness Day. She urges local churches
to observe a moment of silence to honor victims of domestic violence. There
will also be a memorial service open to everyone on the Courthouse Square at noon on Wednesday, October 29.
Taste of Homer on November 8
The
Taste of Homer will be held at Homer City Hall from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tickets are $10. More than 100 dishes prepared by the best cooks in Claiborne
Parish are available for you to try. You can’t beat the price of $10 for all
you can eat. Talk about the food you can choose from: gumbo, hot water
cornbread, pork loin, cassaroles galore, crawfish pie, turnip greens and much,
much more. For all you sweet lovers, you will never see so many different
desserts. All the merchants in Homer and Haynesville will be open for Christmas
shopping.
Homer Lodge celebrates 150 year history
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Donnie Broughton, a native of Homer,
spoke to the Homer Masons during the fraternity’s 150th year celebration.
Broughton dispelled some of the myths surrounding the organization and spoke
fondly of his memories of Homer.
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Pictured from left are: James Allen,
Dwayne Thompson, Donnie Broughton, Brady Allen, Bob Robinson, Tommy Gore, Glen Bays, Kevin Smith, Bud Ruple, Tony Allen, Michael Allen, Wayne Hatfield, Nathan
Thompson, Tom Ruple and Kenny Volentine.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Homer Masonic Lodge #152 celebrated 150 years in existence, complete with cake
and all the trimmings.
Opened
to the public, Homer Masons honored several in its membership, including past
masters, long-term members and others during its meeting. Fifty plus year Masons
were also recognized including Glen Bays with 56 years and Leonard Brown, who
has been a Mason for 63 years. Living past masters were also recognized
including Bays, Byron Ruple, James B. Allen, Bob Robinson and Wayne Hatfield.
Other living past masters who were not present include N.L. Wagner, James
White, Danny Moore, David Stanford, R.P. O’Leary, Gene Bays, Ronald Edmonds,
David Hood, Travis Tinsley, Thomas Brewton and Thomas Wyant.
Masons
also celebrated its long-standing history as well as dispelling a few myths.
“This
is a great day to celebrate 150 years of the Homer Masonic Lodge,” said Glen Bays, past master.
Originally
chartered in 1858, the Masonic Lodge’s roots in Homer go back even further. The
Taylor Lodge was established in 1850, and it originally met on the second floor
of the southwest side of The Square until 1893. The current building was
purchased in 1922, with just two floors. The Homer Masonic Company was formed,
in which stocks were sold to its members to pay for the construction of the
third floor where the Homer Masons meet today.
Since
Claiborne Parish’s establishment, there have been 14 Masonic Lodges in the
parish including the communities of Summerfield, Lisbon, Haynesville and Athens. The Haynesville and Athens lodges are still active today.
Currently,
the Homer lodge has approximately 60 active members with several new members
coming in.
“We
have some wonderful young Masons now and they are active,” Bays said. “They
know the work and look forward to the future of Masons.”
Past
Grand Master of Texas Donnie Broughton was the keynote speaker for the
celebration, and spoke fondly of Homer. He is also a graduate of Homer High School.
“I have
great memories of Homer,” he said. “What a privilege it was to be a part of a
small town and graduate from such a great school. In those days, it was a
privilege to come from a small town. We drove around a little bit before we got
here and it stirred up some fond memories.”
Because
the celebration was open to the public, he spoke of who Masons are, where the
fraternity comes from and what they do. He also spoke of some of the symbolism
of the Masonic Lodge. The Masonic Lodge is the oldest known existing fraternity
in the world, dating back, some believe, to some 3,000 years ago. It has been
said that Masons actually built King Solomon’s temple. This is not a known
fact, nor is it in any written records. The written record does state, however,
that the freemason fraternity actually began in the Middle Ages, during the
time of the stone builders who built the great cathedrals in Europe.
At that
time, masons were accused of having a secret formula in which the cathedrals
were built, but it actually comes from what’s now called the Fibinacci series
of numbers.
This
concept came from a man named Leonardo Binacci, born in Italy in 1710. In his studies, he learned that there was a certain reoccurrence of numbers
in nature that dealt with proportions and how one proportion related to the
percentage of a whole.
He gave
several examples of how proportions work and how it all fits the Fibinacci
series of numbers. For example, this concept is used in the stock market, which
affects how stock is traded.
The
ranks which Masons are bestowed with today truly come from the rankings of
stone Masons when the fraternity was first organized. Just like today, workers
were paid according to their skill level. For example, an apprentice might not
get paid as much as a “fellow craft,” and the master Mason received the highest
pay. Hence, the three levels of membership today are inter-apprentice, fellow
craft and master mason. The position of worshipful master is the highest
position to be obtained in the Masonic Lodge. The term “worshipful” means
“honorable,” much like a judge would be called “Your Honor.” In Europe, judges today are still called “Your Worship.”
As time
passed, the desire for great stone buildings began to wane, and the freemasons
began to decrease in membership. Because of this drop in membership, it was
opened to what are now called “free and accepted Masons,” which means men of
other trades were accepted into the organization.
The
organization made its way to the United States from England and Scotland through our founding fathers, who themselves were Masons. Many of the country’s
first leaders were Masons, and many founding fathers of communities throughout
the United States were Masons.
“It’s
because masons have always been men who had a vision,” he said. “When they
(people) came to the United States looking for freedom, they looked to Masons
to be the leaders of the community and the framers of the law by which we live
today.”
What
Masons do today is take good men and make them better, he said. There are three
ways they do this – through morality, ethics and spiritualism. But the
fraternity keeps strong ties to its roots.
“The
strongest connection that we have today to the ancient stone Masons is the use
of our symbols,” he said.
In
fact, the square and the compass is the second most recognized symbol in the
world, second only to the cross.
Many of
the myths about freemasonry were also dispelled by Broughton. The Masonic Lodge
is not a cult, nor is it a religion. It is also not a secret organization, he
said. Much of the misconception comes from the fraternity’s privacy because
many its rituals are misunderstood. Every ritual has a meaning, and at the
forefront of each is that God must come first. Everything from its symbolism,
its rites and charitable activities are done with the understanding that none
of it is possible without God.
Another
misconception is that membership to the Masonic Lodge is by invitation only.
Membership cannot be solicited. The bylaws of the grand lodge say that
prospective members are to ask to join, hence the motto, “To be one, ask one.”
Senior
Warden Michael Allen gave thanks to the many people who contributed to making
the celebration such a success. He thanked the following people: the
sesquicentennial committee – Tommy Gore, Glen Bays and Betty Allen – who
organized the celebration; Leslie Allen, Betty Allen, Gurvis Vines, Sunrise
Bakery and Judy Risner for their contributions for the reception; The
Guardian-Journal for its coverage of the event; Kathy Hightower for printing
the programs; Secretary Wayne Hatfield and Steve Risner for their help before,
during and after the celebration; other distinguished guests and Masons of the
Haynesville and Athens lodges for helping the Homer Masonic Lodge celebrate its
anniversary.
Water conservation picks up momentum
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
The
issue of water conservation is picking up momentum in Claiborne Parish.
With
the depletion of the Sparta Aquifer, many citizens are taking a look at how
much water they are using.
At a
recent water seminar, Dr. Alice Stewart gave a presentation on the Sparta
Aquifer. She said Claiborne Parish shares a poblem with all of Louisiana - people are drawing from Sparta faster than it can replenish itself.
Approximately
70 million gallons are pulled from the Spart Aquifer every day.
Some
water-saving tips the public can make use of are:
• Turn
off water while brushing your teeth. An average of five gallons is used while
brushing your teeth. Citizens can save about 100 gallons per month.
•
Install a low-flow shower head and take showers instead of baths. An
eight-minute shower only uses a little more than 17 gallons while a bath takes
a minimum of 35 gallons. Always repair leaky faucets and toilets. A faucet that
leaks one drop per second can waste 2,000 gallons of water in one year, while
the average toilet leak can waste 60 gallons per day.
• Water
the lawn or garden only when absolutely necessary. Fully load dishwashers and
washing machines before running.
• Keep
a covered pitcher of water in the refrigerator to eliminate waiting for cold
water from the tap. Use a broom rather than a hose to clean sidewalks and
carports.
• Wash
vehicles using buckets instead of letting the water hose run.
Safe
drinking water is essential to a community’s health and economic viability.
Unsafe
drinking water can lead to long-term health effects such as cancer, as well as
to immediate health threats that can sicken a whole community.
Our
drinking water comes from two major sources, surface water and groundwater.
Surface water included lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs. Ground water
includes undergroung aquifers.
The
most common threat to surface water is pollution from contaminated runoff.
Runoff is the part of rainfall, snow melt or irrigation water that does not
evaporate or travel downward through soil to groundwater.
Instead,
it moves over land, through drains and sewers to surface water. The most common
threats are improperly maintained landfills, leaking underground storage tanks
and septic systems.
Citizens
can help protect our drinking water by adopting practices that keep pollution
out of our water supply. They can do this by keeping litter, leaves and debris
out of streets and gutters.
Also by
disposing of chemicals properly, using fertilizers as specified, managing
animal waste to minimize contamination of water sources, regularly inspect and
pump out septic systems and by regularly testing private wells help provide a
good starting point.
Jesse
Means, with the LSUAgCenter, spoke at the recent water seminar about the SWAP
program, which stands for Source Water Assessment Program.
According
to their research, Claiborne Parish is in good shape in its water system
rankings, regarding water quality. Also according to their research, Pine Hill
is the only water systmen in the parish which has a contigency plan if water
quality goes awry.
Luckily,
Claiborne Parish already has a jump start on forming committees to get the word
out about water conservation. Claiborne is “water rich” in its EPA designation
of three watersheds - Bayou Darbonne, Loggy Bayou and Black Lake Bayou.
Micaela
Coner, an environmentalist scientist with the state of Louisiana DEQ, said
there aren’t many prohibitions to help protect ground water wells other than
the few found in the Louisiana State Sanitary Code and ordinances passed in
communities.
The LSU
AgCenter offers research-based educational programs related to water quality
issues. To find out what you can do to get involved in this critical Louisiana issue, contact your local extension office or call the Environmental Science
Division, Environmental Educational Project at (225) 388-6998.
Flu vaccine available at health unit
The flu
vaccine is now available at the Claiborne Parish Health Unit.
Groups
eligible to receive influenza vaccines through the health unit are as follows:
• All
children from 6 months up to 18 years of age
•
Pregnant women
•
Anyone 50 years of age or older
•
Anyone with long-term health problems with heart disease, lung disease, asthma,
kidney disease, diabetes, anemia and other blood disorders, muscle or nerve
disorders, weakened immune system.
Flu
shots will be offered on a daily basis from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Claiborne Parish Health Unit, located at 624 West Main Street in Homer.
People
are asked to bring their Medicaid/Medicare cards for billing purposes. For
those who are not covered by these programs, there is a $10 administrative fee.
For more information, please call the local health unit at 927-6127.
Cable franchise ordinances passed in
Haynesville
The Guardian-Journal
The
Haynesville Town Council passed two ordinances which will help the town keep a
piece of the pie in franchise taxes.
The
council held a special called public hearing on October 16 concerning the two
cable franchise ordinances. Open discussion was held prior to the council
meeting.
Ordinance
No. 581 states that anyone interested in providing cable or video services to
the residents inside the municipality of Haynesville must obtain a state issued
certificate of franchise authority. These individuals would be required to pay
the Town of Haynesville a fee of three percent of all gross revenue earned
according to the Louisiana Revised Statute No. 451356.
The
council passed Ordinance No. 581unanimously.
Ordinance
No. 582 requires the payment of public educational, governmental access
program support to the Town of Haynesville by cable or video service provider
operating within the Town’s municipality under a state-issued certificate, as
pursuant to the provision any provider must obtain a certificate of franchise
authority according to the Television Act of 2008.
The
Louisiana Revised Statute 451361 states that cable and video providers holding
a state-issued certificate shall pay the Town of Haynesville a tax of one-half
percent.
A
unanimous decision was made by the council to adopt Ordinance No. 582.
In
other business, the 2008 report on the Claiborne Parish Fair was given by Carla
Smith, who is also a member of the Claiborne Parish Fair Board. The fair was
reported a success and is growing by leaps and bounds each year.
As a
way to boost interest in the annual fair, a beauty pageant was held for the
first time in many years and 35 entries participated. Smith hopes to have
David Wade Correctional Center (DWCC) provide arts and crafts to be auctioned
during the course of the week of the fair in the year to come.
Smith
said, “We must keep the fair alive. Our children are our future and we need to
provide them with fun activities to participate in.”
The
participation in the art division of the fair has grown by such a large amount
that the schoolhouse didn’t provide enough room and the north end of the fair
barn was also full of submitted artwork.
“This
is the kind of space issue that is a good thing,” Mayor Sherman Brown said.
Two
employees were recognized for their five loyal, consecutive years of service to
the Town of Haynesville. Certificates of Appreciation were presented to Troy
Philbin and Jason Terry.
Haynesville Elementary to honor veterans
Haynesville Elementary School
will be presenting a short Veteran’s Day program at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, November 11, in the school gym.
Each
grade in the school will be presenting patriotic music in honor of Veteran’s
Day. A short slide show will also be presented in honor of our veterans.
At Haynesville Elementary School, we honor all veterans and would like to take this
opportunity to invite any veteran who would like to attend our program. Thank
you for allowing us to say “thanks” to our veterans.
This Film by Michael Haynes Productions was created in conjunction with 
